Networks, Creativity, and Time: Staying Creative through Brokerage and Network Rejuvenation

Abstract

In this paper we adopt a dynamic perspective on networks and creativity to propose that the oft-theorized creative benefits of open networks and heterogeneous content are less likely to be accrued over time if the network is stable. Specifically, we hypothesize that open networks and content heterogeneity will have a more positive effect on creativity when network stability is low. We base our prediction on the fact that over time network stability begets cognitive rigidity and social rigidity, thus limiting individuals’ ability to make use of the creative advantages provided by open networks and heterogeneous content. On the contrary, new ties bring a positive “shock” that pushes individuals in the network to change the way they organize and process knowledge, as well as the way they interact and collaborate – a shock that enables creators to accrue the creative advantages provided by open network structures and heterogeneous content. We test and find support for our theory in a study on the core artists who worked on the TV series Doctor Who between 1963 and 2014.